Contact block for electric organs and the like



Aflril 5, 1927. 1,623,098

C.N.DEVERALL CONTACT BLOCK FOR ELECTRIC oncms AND THE LIKE Filed May 17.1922 Patented Apr. 5, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. CHARLES N. DEVERALL, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO RUDOLPH WUR-LITZER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YORK, A COR-PORATION OF NEW YORK.

CONTACT BLOCK FOR ELECTRIC ORGANS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed. May r2, 1922. Serial No. 561,622.

This invention relates to a contact block or make and break device whichis more particularly designed for use in connection with electricallycontrolled musical instruments, such as orchestral and other organs,this block being provided with, flexible contact members adapted to bebridged and deflected by a switch member carried by an organ key, tocomplete an electro-pneumatic circuit for operating the action and otherparts of the instrument.

The flexible arms or branches of each of the contact members or wiresare usually L-shaped, and when they are flexed at the bend or junctionof the arms they radually weaken and ultimately break at that point.

It is one object of this invention to improve the construction of suchcontact blocks with a view of overcoming the above objection andprolonging the life of the contact wires.

A further object is to tightly secure the wires in the blocks by simpleand inexpensive means.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of thecontact block, showing diagrammatically its application to theassociated parts of an organ. Figure 2 is a bottom plan view thereof.Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the block. Figure 4 is atransverse section on line 4l4t, Fig. 3. Figure 5 is a perspective viewof the main block section. Figure 6 is a similar view of the heelsection.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

10 represents a main or front section; forming the body portion of thecontact block and provided in its underside with a series of verticalsaw cuts or guides 11 extending lengthwise thereof. Said section isprovided with an overhanging rearward extension 12 forming arearwardly-facing transverse shoulder 13. Arranged in these saw cuts arethe flexible contact members each of which is preferably constructed ofa single length of spring wire bent into substantially L-shape andforming a long horizontal arm 14 and a short upright arm 15. Theflexible horizontal arm of each contact wire is free to vibrate in oneof the saw cuts of the block with its free end projecting beyond thefront end of the latter, while 16 in the extension of said front section10 and projects a suitable distance above the same, as shown in Figs. 3and 5. The several openings 16 are disposed in the rear of the shoulder13 of the front section of the block, so that the horizontal arms 14extend forwardly beyond said shoulder.

Glued or otherwise secured to the underside of the extension 12 tooverlie and cover the bend 17 and the adjacent rear portions of thecontact wires, is a heel block or rear section 18 whose front end abutsagainst the shoulder 13' of the front section 10, as shown in Figs. 1and 3.

By this arrangement, when the contact wires are depressed by anactuating part, suclras the usual switch member 19 on the underside ofan organ key 20, flexing of the wires takes place at a point in front ofand remote from the bends 17, the upper front edge of the heel sectionof the block serving as the fulcrum about which said arms are flexed. Bythus transferring the fulcrum or flexing portions of the horizontalcontact arms from their bends or angles to a point at a distancetherefrom, the bent portions of the wire are allowed to remain at restand the vibrating and flexing action of the horizontal arms is confinedto their straight portions, thereby avoiding weakening and breakage ofthe wires at the bends and greatly increasing the durability of thecontact-block.

In gluing the separate heel section to the main section of the block,the customary gluing clamps press the upper face of the heel sectiontightlyagainst the rear portions of the contact arms let and thecontiguous extension 12, holding the wires firmly in place and insuringfiexion thereof at a point in advance of their bends 17.

To illustrate its application, the contact block is herein shown inconnection with an organ key for controlling the electromagnets 21,which in turn control the customary action of the organ pipes. 22indicates the circuit containing the series of electro-magnets whichcorrespond in number to the pipes o3, one wire of each magnet beingconnected to a corresponding vertical arm 15 of the contact block, whilethe other wire of each magnet is connected to a current supply wire 24;leading from one of the terminals of a battery 25 or other source ofcurrent. The wire 26 leading from the other battery terminal isconnected by branches 27 to the vertical arms of the remaining contactwires of the block, there being one more contact wire than there aremagnets for a given set. In the normal position of the parts, themagnet-circuits are open. lVhen it is desired to bring certain pipes ofthe instrument into action, the corresponding control stop or tablet ofthe instrument (not shown) is actuated, so that when the operatordepresses one or another of the organ keys, its switch contact 19bridges the wires of the corresponding contact block, closing themagnet-circuits and operating the customary action to sound thecorresponding pipes.

The block, including its glued sections and the contact wires clampedbetween tl em, constitutes a unitary article of manufacture, separatefrom the customary rail 28 upon which they are mounted and secured. Thisconstruction insures a tight and firm attachment of all the wires to theblock and their fiexion at a point away from their bend, unlike thestructures hitherto in use, in which the wires are laid loosely in thesaw cuts of a solid non-sectional block which is then applied to therail.

I claim as my invention:

1. As an article of manufacture, a sectional contact-block, comprising afront section, a rear section secured to the underside of said frontsection, and a contact member secured at its rear end to said frontsection and capable of vertical fiexion and vibration thereon, said rearsection extending forwardly beyond the rear end of said contact-member,and the portion of the lat ter adjacent to its rear end resting uponsaid rear section.

2. As an article of manufacture, a sectional contact-block, comprising afront section provided with a reduced overhanging rearward extension, arear section secured to the underside of said reduced extension, and aflexible L-shaped contact-member having its upright arm secured in saidextension, the horizontal arm of said contactmember being capable ofvertical fiexion and vibration, said rear section extending forwardlybeyond said upright arm, and the adjacent portion of said horizontal armresting upon the rear section, said block with its contact member beinga unitary structure separate from the customary rail upon which the sameis adapted to be mounted.

3. As an article of manufacture, a sectional contact-block, comprising afront section provided with a reduced overhanging rearward extension, arear section secured to the underside of said reduced extension andhaving its bottom substantially flush with that of the front section,and a flexible contact-member secured at one end to said front sectionand fulcrumed upon the rear section at a point beyond the attachment ofsaid member to the front section.

CHARLES N. DEVERALL.

